Football

Busy Weekend: Tim Benford participating in NFL Combine

Feb 24, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- It's going to be a busy weekend for
Tennessee Tech wide receiver Tim Benford. The Chattanooga native,
named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year, is
in Indianapolis this weekend to participate in the NFL Combine, a
gathering of the best rising talent in the nation to show their
skills.

"We're just excited for him," said Golden Eagle coach Watson
Brown. "He deserves to be there. He's had a wonderful careeer for
us, he's talented enough to be at the Combine this week, and we're
hoping for good things for him."

Benford has spent the past couple months training at the Velocity
Sports Performance Center in Naples, Fla. Under their guidance, he
hopes to improve his speed and strength to better his stock in the
2012 NFL Draft in April.

Below is an excerpt from Benford's biography on the NFL
Scounting Combine website:

Benford is a wide receiver out of Tennessee Tech, where in
his senior year he was the OVC player of the year. He is a
decent-sized receiver who understands how to run routes and get
defensive backs on their heels. Benford has become a late rising
prospect after an impressive showing at the East-West Shrine Game,
where he displayed the ability to compete with the country's finest
senior prospects.

Benford has some suddenness and explosion to him in and out
of his breaks that allow him to separate from the defender. He is
quick for a receiver of almost 200 pounds and has a good change of
direction. He is smart to stem and sell his routes to keep corners
off-balance and has the footwork to break off routes on a snap. He
was a highly productive and consistent player throughout his
career.

Fox Sports listed Tim as one of five "Small School Guys You'll
Know by Next Week"

3. Tim Benford, WR, Tennessee
Tech: Another small-school guy with big dreams,
Benford stood out at East-West Shrine Game practices by showing
surprising strength for his 200-pound frame. Tennessee Tech's
Watson Brown coached Roddy White in college. Brown says Benford has
all the goods to make it on the next level. "Tim's just got enough
of the pieces," Brown told the Chattanooga Times Free Press last
week. "He needed to have a good (senior) year, he needed to work
harder and he did all of the things that I asked him to do." Not a
huge speed burner and “under-sized” at 5-11, 200
pounds, Benford might not be a first- or second-day pick. With a
great week of workouts, however, he can solidify his place in that
Day 2 conversation.